


ain't no sunshine when she's gone

by callmeshakesqueer



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:36:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24109843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmeshakesqueer/pseuds/callmeshakesqueer
Summary: “The usual?” She asks and it’s not like she remembered Raquel’s order. No, not at all. She’s just a brilliant employee who remembers her clients’ orders. Or just one, impossibly hot client.or; Alicia works at the local coffee shop and notices a regular with whom she soon gets a chance to get closer.Coffee Shop AU
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Alicia Sierra
Comments: 8
Kudos: 70





	ain't no sunshine when she's gone

**Author's Note:**

> i've never written a coffee shop au before and i'm completely crazy about ralicia and that's the result.  
> also the title is from bill withers' song ain't no sunshine
> 
> hope you enjoy!

Every Wednesday Alicia Sierra takes her morning shift with no word of complaint, puts on her black turtleneck, black fitting jeans and high heels of the same colour and leaves home at 7 a.m. knowing that by noon her feet will be killing her. 

Her apartment is close enough to take a walk lasting no longer than ten minutes; on her way she buys some pastries and walks through the back door, greeted by familiar arguing. 

“You’re not taking Friday off because _I am_ taking Friday off,” 

She closes the door behind and throws her purse on a chair by the exit, then follows the voices in the kitchen.

“Miss Jiménez, unfortunately, you’re plans must be… postponed.” Andrés is unpacking boxes of a new delivery, ignoring Ágata standing above him with arms crossed, rolling her eyes. 

“Good morning!” Alicia grins at her co-workers and glances at the local, seeing only two men sitting at a table with their orders. “Sorry to interrupt your gripping argument but I’ve talked to Marquina yesterday and I’m the one taking the Friday off. You’ll be spending the evening together here.” 

She ties her apron around her waist and fixes her ponytail before taking her place at the counter, hearing behind Andrés’ outraged snort. 

“What a bitch,” Ágata murmurs and it brings an even bigger smile onto Sierra’s lips. She may be a bitch but she’s also the one having a free Friday. 

Exactly at quarter past 8 a.m. through the door walks a group of students and four minutes after two women also enter the shop. Alicia turns back and checks her red lipstick in the screen of her phone. She’s been working for two months here and learned a couple of facts already: 

1). The group of students is a privileged bunch of assholes and she couldn’t bring herself to care about them. 

2). _But_ the two women are not associated with them; one with curly light hair and wide smile, the other one, God, with her hair always let down and a nose piercing and sharp eyes which sometimes send her looks which shouldn’t be allowed in public. 

3). They are both studying criminology at the University of Madrid, right now through their second year and Alicia envies them way more than she admits to, but right now she can’t commit to studying when she just moved out of her _completely_ dysfunctional household and tries to make it on her own. 

The curly girl, Mónica, takes a seat at their usual table, right by the big window, almost in the corner. Raquel stands in the queue, and Alicia with Ágata, take orders, shoving them into the eager hands of those idiots. Alicia wishes she could just pour scalding coffee all over one boy who stares at their asses with no sign of shame and deform his dumb face.

But she forgets about her disgust towards the man when Raquel appears in front of her, well, in front of Ágata but Alicia pushes her out of the way and smiles, one dimple showing and raises an eyebrow. 

“The usual?” She asks and it’s not like she remembered Raquel’s order. No, not at all. She’s just a brilliant employee who remembers her clients’ orders. Or just one, impossibly hot client. 

“Oh, yes!” Raquel smiles back, for the first time since she’s entered the place. 

“And for your friend?” 

“A caramel iced latte… and two, no, three donuts, strawberry glazed.” 

She smirks and after Raquel pays her, Alicia says she will bring the order to their table. 

While she is making a black coffee with no sugar after preparing the iced coffee, Fonollosa catches her at the machine, two cups in his hands. 

“And since when you bring orders to the clients?” 

She grits her teeth, feeling his presence behind her and turns around, resting on the counter behind her. She raises her head and slowly tilts it, looking at him with clear begrudging. 

“Since someone is nice to me, but what would you even know about it.”

She passes him by, with both coffee ready and takes a plate to put donuts on it.

“At least take your apron off, show off your curves!” He calls after her and Alicia flips him off, but when she’s out of sight, she actually does that. 

Raquel sees her instantly and bites her lip in a way that almost makes Alicia throw herself at her and she’s holding on with little rests of self-control that usually disappear around this woman. She puts the coffees on the table right with the donuts and wishes them a nice day, walking back to the counter and feeling Raquel’s stare on her back like it is burning. 

  


The rest of the morning gets only busier and when she can, she steals glances at the client, surely her favourite. When she walks out of the door, leaving a tip on the table, Alicia’s usual bitchy attitude comes back and she snaps at Andrés with no certain reason; although his very existence is quite of a reason. 

“Miss Sierra! I’ve got something for you!” He sends her his brand smile which makes most of the girls swoon but it only gets on her nerves. 

“Leave me alone, whore.” She is frantically washing the cups and glasses, the sleeves of her turtleneck pulled up to her elbows.

“Alright then,” He shrugs and throws a piece of paper to the rubbish bin. It should set her alarms off because he never leaves any matter so quickly, nor doesn’t leave her alone that fast. But she is too buried in her anger to notice and check it. She doesn’t even know at what she is angry; at herself for sticking in this work and getting a hopeless crush on a woman she doesn’t even know; or at the said woman who shouldn’t be allowed to walk into the room with this face and body; or at the universe for everything. 

The day passes just like every typical Wednesday.

  


~ 

At the sound of her phone calling, Alicia groans and dramatically closes her book, reaching for the device. The little cat lying on her lap raises his head at the abrupt noise and she scratches fur behind his big ears; she adopted him not a month after moving into the city all alone and there they are on a Friday night sitting in the little studio she rented, in a big armchair with some boxes still lying around. 

“Yes?” She answers, already frustrated.

“Listen, that girl you fancy is here-”

“Who is calling?”

“Oh- It’s Ágata. From work. That girl you fancy is here on a date and she doesn’t look the happiest. Come over, save her and take my shift or she’ll have a bad night, I’ll have a bad night and you will have a bad night, spending it with your cat and thinking about her.” 

Alicia doesn’t ask or question; she will do it tomorrow, detailed and prepared but right now she has a woman to get. In ten minutes she’s ready, quickly fixing her make up and placing a kiss on Commissioner’s furry head.

She had no problems with coming to work today, at least she would have something to do but making those idiots argue for nothing made her decide to ask for a day off just to irritate the hell out of them both. However, it turns out Ágata will get what she wants. But this time, it doesn’t cross out the possibility of Sierra getting what she wants, too. 

When she gets there, her co-worker is already by the door, impatient and sighs with relief, seeing Alicia; what she’s never done before at her sight. 

“You’re a dear!” She pulls Alicia forward before she can even close the door behind her. The taller woman places a big kiss on her cheek. “Thank you!” 

Just like this, she is gone and Alicia ties the apron left by Ágata, forgetting to pull her hair into a ponytail but Sergio Marquina surely won’t visit at the Friday night his local, and even if, he’s too much of softness to bring her some consequences of not respect the policies of the shop. She is also still wearing her glasses and the fact makes her a little bit insecure but it’s too late to change it and she surely won’t risk being blind when Raquel is in the building. 

Andrés is nowhere to be found, probably smoking outside and it gives her some peace. Of course, the first thing she notices in the room is how uncomfortable Raquel looks, despite the way she dressed up. Her legs are tightly crossed and arms stiffly pulled back and her smile so fake, Alicia can’t believe the man across hasn’t noticed yet. But he’s a man after all. 

She considers her options and meanwhile, Raquel excuses herself and gets up to the bathroom. That’s a perfect opportunity and as much of an opportunist as Alicia is, she steps out of the counter and also heads towards the bathroom. 

There are no more customers around, she notices and is not surprised Raquel is as disturbed as she looks because the guy she is with surely doesn’t look the safest to be with alone at night. 

“Is everything alright?” She enters the room and finds Raquel resting her hands on the sink with face down, her hair falling around, and making a wall between her and the world. 

“Alicia?” She raises her head immediately and her cheeks burn after a second. 

Sierra is sure she will make use of it later but right now it sends butterflies all over her stomach the way this girl says her name - she feels like she is hearing it for the first time in her life; and the fact she knows her name.

“I thought you had a shift in the morning,” The girl says, fixing her hair in the mirror and taking invisible lash out of her eye. 

And yes, Alicia usually has her shifts in the mornings on Fridays. 

“I had an emergency.” 

Raquel turns towards her and her eyes glisten in the dim light. 

“Shall I take you the hell out of here?” 

“Yes, God, please,” 

And she does. 

  


~ 

They sneak out through the back door for the workers and pass Andrés on their way, surprised and surely disappointed seeing Alicia with the attractive woman. She sends him a kiss and later shows her middle finger. 

“See you tomorrow, darling,” 

He also tells her goodbye with a gesture. 

The nights closing to the end of October are starting to get truly chilly and right when they leave it starts to pour. 

“Can I walk you home?” Alicia asks to prevent awkward standing in the rain. 

Raquel nods and they walk through the night, palms of their hands sometimes touching and Alicia brings all of her wills to not turn around and kiss the girl. 

“Thank you for saving me,” Raquel speaks up after a minute or two, the sound of their steps echo in the empty alleyway where she leads them through. “My friend set me up with this guy and I’ve heard Alberto is nice but he has those wrong… this wrong aura, I guess? He made me so uncomfortable.” 

“So I noticed.” 

“You seem to notice a lot yet you did not notice my number.” 

“What?” Alicia turns her head to glance at the shorter woman who, how turns out, is also looking at her but when their eyes meet, she turns her glance away, pressing her lips together, debating to continue.

“I left you my number on a tissue.”

“Really? I… Oh.” The realization strikes her. “That motherfucker.” 

“What?”

“Andrés must have thrown it out. I’ll deal with him tomorrow.” 

“Would you use it if you found it?”

“Let’s think about it…” Alicia smirks and clears her throat. “There are definitely some advantages, no doubt.” 

“More than you know,” Raquel catches her hand and stops walking. “That’s where I live.”

They are in the more expensive district of Madrid, in front of the modern-styled block where almost all of the lights are off, people already finishing their days. It’s raining more and somewhere in the distance thunder resounds. 

“About that number, perhaps you care to write it again?” 

“I will bring it to you tomorrow.” 

“Alright,” Alicia nods.

She knows it’s time they part their ways and Raquel is visibly preparing to say goodbye but before she can do it, Alicia breaths in and breaks the distance between them which at first feels like oceans but then turns into inches. 

Their kiss is wet by the rain; Raquel’s completely soaked - her hair, her leather jacket, and soft cheeks. She is holding her face and presses a kiss by kiss and Raquel pulls her fluffy white coat to bring her closer and underneath the faint light of a streetlamp they find each other.

For moments turning into infinities, they can’t bring themselves to stop but finally, Sierra steps back, realizing how _truly cold_ it is without the woman in her arms. 

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow,” She smiles and places the last kiss on Raquel’s lips and turns around, walking back to her apartment. 

Raquel stays unmoved, bringing her hand to her warm lips and smiles as she watches Alicia walking away. 

Her date hasn’t ended that bad, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @imshakesqueer


End file.
